good morning. breaking news -- at least one hamas rocket shot down overnight by israel's anti-missiles protecting tel aviv as israel launches a series of strikes in gaza. courageous choice -- a miss america coestant makes a bold choice about her health to avoid the breast cancer that took her mother's life. and one-two punch. in a night of upsets, the top two teams in college football both lose during the national championship picture on its head. the notre dame fighting irish fans with a big smile on their faces today, sunday, november

18, 2012. and welcome to "today" on this sunday morning. i'm erica hill. and i'm lester holt. a lot of talk about ceasefire between israel and hamas, but certainly not happening. the two sides going in opposite directions launching a series of strikes at each other. a live update from gaza in just a moment. and then the question so many have been asking in the wake of this sex scanndal involving david petraeus, what about his wife? holly petraeus very accomplished in her own right. she has made a number of sacrifices throughout the years for her husband. coming up, we'll take a closer look at his wife of nearly four decades. also ahead, black friday right around the corner. or black thursday. some people already lined up for

big post-thanksgiving sales. what retailers are doing to get you to open your wallet anyways and wide. >> and we all know, you're always up for a big challenge, jenna. this morning perhaps your biggest one of all as you take on broadway. jenna is performing on stage with matthew broderick. can she come through? i don't think there was any doubt in our minds. >> i did until there was sing i ing. in the rehearsals, they kaboshed it for whatever reason. >> they cut it from the show? >> let's not go crazy and use the word cut. it was so much fun. >> we'll reflect on our favorite thanksgiving memories and dylan and i will do a little showdown, a bakeoff, like who is the best thanksgiving dinner. a wonderful apple berry cobbler. dylan made something as well and we'll find out which you made up. >> i didn't know there were berries involved. i mean -- >> yours is apple, right? >> i think you cheated. i thought it was apple cobbler,

apple crisp. you throw berries in there -- >> tweeting pictures of your puppy. it's a whole long thing. we'll have that coming up a bit later on. >> an important distinction. looking forward to that. we do begin with escalating violence in the middle east. the latest from gaza this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. to say the 1.5 million people of the gaza strip a really held hostage by the circumstances all around them is an understatement, a few hundred miles south of here negotiations are under way for a truce. meanwhile for the people here, though, it was another deadly night of strikes overnight. gaza's nighttime sky lit up by israeli air strikes. more than 15 killed in the assault. overnight two more children killed by israeli fire. this woman trapped under the you rubble of her home. workers desperately trying to rescue her.

israel claims to be targeting locations with precision but in this densely populated enclave, the ordinary citizens are caught in the middle. and now it is being if felt by foreign and local journalists working out of this building that was also broadcasting a hamas affiliated news channel. we're inside one of the media buildings struck by the israeli air force. you can see the destruction. one journalist was injured. a trail of blood and debris list litters the stairwell. it is an attempt to silence the med media, says this worker. hamas is still firing backfiring hundreds of rockets into israel. israel's anti-rocket shield called iron dome intercepted many but it's not enough for the country's leader shship. israel has amassed thousands of soldiers on the border ready for

an invasion. >> we are suffering a heavy price from hamas and the terrorist organization. the israeli defense forces have prepared for a significant expansion of the operation. >> reporter: now the civilians here brace themselves for a possible ground invasion, egyptian officials are working to broker a truce within the next 48 hours. but if that fails, both sides, israel and the palestinian factions, say they are prepared to fight a war that could be averted. back to you, erica. now here is lester. as the violence rages in the middle east, president obama is overseas himself on a historic three-day tour of southeast asia. chief white house correspondent chuck todd is traveling with the president. he's in bangkok, thailand, this morning. chuck, what's happening there? >> reporter: well, lester, while the president is at a joint press conference with the prime minister here in thailand, and among the questions that the president got was about the violence in gaza.

and as you will hear in this answer to one of the questions he fully defended israel's right to defend themselves. take a listen. >> there's no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders. so we are fully supportive of israel's right to defend it self from missiles landing on people's homes. >> reporter: the president went on to say he's been in talks consta constantly with prime minister netanyahu, president morrissey of egypt is also the prime minister of turkey. he said the goal is nothing can be done until the missiles stop coming onto israel's soil. once that stops, then a de-escalation of this violence, he hopes, can happen. by the way, as you pointed out, lester, this is a his ttorical nature to the president's trip here. the first american president to visit myanmar, formerly known as

burma. >> all right, chuck todd, thank you. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good to see you. president obama has not really inserted himself in the mideast peace process to the extent that his predecessors have. given the current explosion of violence with hamas, given the changes in the arab world we've seen over the last two years, will he have to become more involved? >> i think he probably will. and whether he pursues what a lot of presidents pursue in its second term and that is mideast peace between israelis and palestinians i think is an open question based on conditions on the ground and what we're seeing now is part of that. is there a reasonable basis to begin those negotiations? is right now he's got perhaps an even more difficult job which is to make sure countries like egypt don't throw their weight behind hamas against israel, that egypt acts as a kind of restraining partner which is what it's typically done with militants in the area, and that's why the president's

conversations with egypt are so important right now. >> and speaking of the middle east, the investigation into the early characterizations of the september 11 attack on the consulate in benghazi took a new turn this past week. as you know david petraeus, the former cia director, testifying that they were aware this was a terrorist attack from the get-go. did his testimony leave the white house any plausible deniability about how it characterized that attack? >> it may have because at the time of the attack in the immediate aftermath the intelligence community was saying something very similar to what susan rice said on "meet the press" and other programs five days later. and this is the key question, which is did they fail to call it what it was? and that is a terror attack on an anniversary of 9/11? and if so, why? i think resolving that is still the key question but it only gets us to the bigger question, lester, which is what about america's footprint on the ground in a kcountry like libya that needs so much rebuilding at a time when the united states

does not want to be responsible for all of that security and all of that rebuilding? >> and we're mindful the president leaves hoping to get a deal to avert the fiscal cliff some time after the thanksgiving break. is that wishful thinking or has the climate changed to the point this may happen? >> i think there are good vibrations and that amounts to something between republicans and defensemmocrats right now, n republicans and the white house most importantly. the president clearly seems like a president who wants to fight on the issue of taxes on the wealthy, but he's signaling compromise will. i think that's where all this starts. they may try to break this up, pursue tax reformulator. i don't know we're going to get it all done before the end of the year but enough to avoid the fiscal cliff. it's to avoid brinksmanship. >> and what do you have coming up on "meet the press" this morning? >> we'll talk about the petraeus affair. we'll talk about benghazi. we have the intelligence chairs, feinstein and lindsey graham. so a lot of this -- these issues

rattling the national security scene right now. >> david, thanks very much. >> thanks, lester. it is time now for a check of the morning's other top stories. jenna wolfe, good morning. hey, guys. good morning to you. one worker is still missing following a fire friday on an oil rig. the other missing man was found by private divers who have been called in to inspect the rig. four other workers why severely burned. felled investigators in west texas say a parade float began crossing railroad tracks 20 seconds after warning signals went off. it was hit by a freight train killing four decorated veterans of the iraq and afghanistan wars. upsets reign supreme. two teams vying for a bcs tate l might have played themselves right out of consideration. number one oregon, number two kansas were upset, literally they were so upset. the ducks offense was stifled by stanford's 17-14 in overtime. that's a big loss.

baylor literally ran over the wildcats, 52-24, which leads notre dame as the only remaining eligible unbeaten team left. notre dame was like, that was easy. we'll take it. and finally, new jersey's governor christie may get a surprise drop-in on "snl" with seth myers last night. christie thanked the red cross for all its help, and then he thanked his police for all its help. the same blue fleece he's been wearing every day since hurricane sandy. >> i also give a special thanks to my lovely wife who is here tonight who put up with a husband who has smelled like a wet fleece for the past three weeks. >> you have been wearing that fleece a lot. >> it's used to my skin at this point. >> i have seen you wearing suits. >> i wear them over the fleece. i'm going to die in this fleece. >> a couple things here. the fleece is no longer on the governor. thank you, said the fleece. as you might expect, fleece has its the own twitter handle.

23 followers, 46,900 less than lester has. still growing oh, so strong. >> but who is counting? he has great comedic followers. >> i think we can get the numbers up to 27 with the four of us. >> a little bakeoff. >> i think another couple and he should be good to go. we're almost there. >> jenna, thanks. >> dylan dreyer with a check of the weather. >> the weather in the eastern half of the country still looking okay, but we do have a lot of storms hitting the west coast. storm after storm. and they're only going to get stronger as we head into early next week. in fact, by monday and tuesday we could see wind gusts up to 70 to 90 miles an hour. one to two feet of snow up in the mountains and three to five inches

and that's your latest forecast. erica? >> dylan, thanks. in the past weeks we've heard a lot about david petraeus, the retired four star general embroiled in a sex scandal that cost him his job as cia director. we haven't heard much of his wife of nearly 40 years. just who is holly petraeus? dean welker takes a look. >> reporter: she is an army wife, advocate for military families, and a mom. now after 38 years of marriage, holly petraeus is perhaps best known as the woman behind the four-star general at the center of an unfolding scandal. >> i grew up in a military family, one that has a tradition of service going back to the

revolutionary war, although i'm not that old. >> reporter: a senior visiting her father who was superintendent at west point when she was coaxed into a blind date with young cadet david petraeus. >> the best decision i ever made was replying, sure, happy to do it, when asked if i would escort a visiting co-ed to a football game. >> reporter: they married shortly after graduation and during her husband's rapid rise, holly moved more than 20 times in 38 years. >> she's been mrs. dad for the bulk of the past decade while i was deployed. >> reporter: inspired by their own is takes as a young army couple, she began to counsel soldiers and their wives. >> all you have to do is this. so take the pledge. start saving. >> reporter: earning high praise along the way. >> i want to thank someone who has made it her life's mission to stand up for the financial security of you and your families, holly petraeus is in

it the house. i want you to give her a big round of applause. >> reporter: all the while she never expected to be caught in the media glare like these women. >> i apologize -- >> reporter: or to share the headlines with these women -- >> the chief supported them and yet they have this wonderful marriage and very established children. >> reporter: 40-year-old paula broadwell, her husband's biographer, who had an affair with general petraeus. she is now the target of an fbi probe. >> how are you doing? >> reporter: or socialite jill kelley whose complaints about harassing e-mails led to the discovery of the petraeus affair, recently kelley e-mailed tampa's mayor over complaints she's been exploited by the media writing, my family has been put through the ringer and my kids are scared, and calling broadwell a criminal saying she stalked all of us. meanwhile, holly petraeus' friends say calling her furious is an understatement. >> you can see that there are healing opportunities. we have seen that with bill and

hillary clinton. and then there are times it's irreparable. >> reporter: still, she is determined, staying at her job and at least for now according to friends continuing to work on her marriage. for "today," kristen welker, are nbc news, washington. up next on "today," the rush for the register. why some people plan to skip that second happening on thanksgiving to intulg in holiday shopping. ♪ we were skipping stones and letting go ♪ [ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars, rich dark chocolate, toasted oats. perfect combinations of nature's delicious ingredients,

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[ female announcer ] the keepsake countdown ornament. build anticipation every day till christmas. elves tried to wrap a pony! if i thought you could wait until the day after thanksgiving to start your holiday shopping, get set to wind up in the back of the line. the hunt for the best bargains has already started. >> reporter: on the saturday before black friday, six days early, a few diehards set up camp, tents and all, outside a best buy in ft. myers, florida. >> hi, merry christmas. >> reporter: maybe they're just keeping up with the early rush. almost 50% have started their holiday shopping. remember these scenes of stores opening insanely early friday or even thursday at midnight? this year some of the big retailers, toys 'r' us, sears, kmart, and walmart will open at 8:00 p.m. on thanksgiving.

just about the time many are sneaking leftovers. >> i think 8:00 is the perfect time because you're finished with dinner. you can go walk it off and then you go back home. >> reporter: the stores have a chance to get your dollars before someone else does. >> the problem is if everybodies to it, all you're really doing is pulling sales forward and making them happen earlier this year on thanksgiving day rather than waiting until the friday. >> reporter: and remember cyber monday, the online shopping day? well, that's moving up, too. as customers try to dodge the black friday crowds, more are shopping from home or work that day. retailers are making in store specials also available on the web. >> last year someone was pepper sprayed. people see these headlines and say, well, i'm going to stay home because the online experience is so much better than you can get the same deals. >> reporter: and for those who love to see and touch before they buy, a number of malls are offering valet parking, package delivery, and some other white

glove perks. >> hi, can i help you? >> reporter: not everyone loves the full-court press on their pocketbooks. starting earlier and earlier each holiday season. >> there should be some down time over the holidays. >> there's plenty of time to get all the presents purchased between thanksgiving and christmas. >> reporter: the black friday creep into thursday. has thanksgiving become for some just another day at the register? janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. >> no. we were talking. online shopping more these days. >> what impresses me, they already know what they want which i think is impressive. >> i haven't seen made a list. i have one present bought. one. >> thank you. that was nice of to you think of me. we've only been working together a short time. >> i knew immediately what you needed and i wanted to make sure they didn't sell out. >> so sweet. still to come, a miss america contestant makes a brave decision that could forever change her life. more about her story but first

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>> we're hard willing going to >> the winds northeast, 5 to 10 miles per hour and that takes you into your seven day forecast. going to be a pretty nice one leading up to the big holiday. we have a few chances for showers south of us monday and tuesday. highs warm up to 60 degrees as we get in to thursday and for thanksgiving day, mostly sunny weather. so for all of your holiday travel destinations, not a bad day to be out on the roads. by friday night, a weak cold front could move our way. maybe a slight chance for showers, but overall as people are out on the roads this week in the east, things are looking pretty good. >> thanks for joining us, 11 news sunday morning starts in 25 minutes. see you then.

we're back on a sunday morning, november 18, 2012. outside on the plaza a great, great crowd here joining us. you have how many nylons on? i don't and it is a little chilly. >> but you have your socks on. you're good to go. >> and also he's wearing pants. >> which is a plus. >> which is a plus. anyway, outside on the plaza, i'm lester holt along with the great group of colleagues. >> girls. >> ladies. anyway, still to come, a miss america contest contestant makes a life altering decision. allyn rose is only 24 years old

but losing her mother at a young age prompted her to make some dramatic decisions about her own health. what she's doing in an attempt to live a long life. >> a great story. also ahead, some of our favorite thanksgiving memories and traditions. some of those include some baking skills and turkey skills. so lester and dylan will have a little bit after bakeoff. we are challenging think baking skills which apparently are very strong. >> this came up in conversations about thanksgiving. you like to bake a lot. >> you called yourself a pie master connoisseur. >> i used the term certified pie maker and someone took that literally. there's no certification that i'm aware of. >> you were lying, lester holt? >> no, i was bragging. >> okay. >> that's believable. anyway, so we're going to share our skills and see -- you made an apple crisp and i did the apple berry cobbler. >> a little bakeoff. and then i had an amazing opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. i got a chance to star on

broadway -- i use the word star so level -- a chance to be on broadway for a few seconds. the wonderful cast and crew. it's nice work if you can get it. invited me on stage. we'll show you what backstage is all about. >> it doesn't even look like you. >> okay, well, it was. that's why i brought cameras because i didn't think you would believe me. >> dylan has another check of the weather for us. it's not as windy as it was yesterday in the northeast. we are going to certainly see a nicer day in new york city and a perfect day, thomas is turning 10 today. you must be thomas. where are you from? are you enjoying new york city? well, thanks so much for spending your birthday here. it is going to be nice around here. we have a lot of rain to talk about especially in the northwest. we have storm after storm that is just going to pound the west coast and each storm gets stronger we could see wind gusts up to 70 to 90 miles an hour especially along the coast, 0 out that way, and mountain snow, a foot, a foot and a half of snow possible. the rest of the country minus a

couple of showers through the plains and also some heavier rain across the carolinas. some wind gusts up near 40 miles an hour possible as well today and even into tomorrow. but the northeast will be quiet for your monday. middle of the kcountry seeing a couple of showers and, again, we are looking for pretty strong weather and gusty winds in the and now that it's sunday, that means tonight is sunday night football night in america. we have a huge rivalry going

down in heinz field. the rains head iravens heading . for your football forecast, any forecast you want, it's available at weather.com. erica? >> dylan, thanks. a miss america contestant just 16 when she lost her mother to breast cancer, has made a bold decision vochg her health. michelle franzen is here with more. >> good morning. allyn rose wants to raise awareness about the risk of breast cancer and the choices, sometimes radical, women at risk can make. >> maryland -- >> reporter: contestant allyn rose is used to being judged on her look, talent and body. but since being crowned miss district of columbia, beauty has taken on a new meaning. >> allyn rose, 22, newburg, maryland. >> reporter: when rose takes to the stage in january competing in the miss america pageant, the

24-year-old will have already faced one of the most difficult decisions of her life. >> maryland. >> reporter: rose is set to undergo a preventive double mastectomy, a choice she made after learning she carried the rare cancer gene that killed her mother eight years ago. >> i, unfortunately, lost my mom to breast cancer when i was 16. >> reporter: in 2011 rose represented miss maryland in the miss usa pageant. this time the contestant wants to raise awareness making breast cancer prevention her platform. medical experts say she is not alone in the decision to have the radical surgery despite not being diagnosed with cancer. >> being proactive is important and, again, people are just taking their health very seriously. >> reporter: some celebrities have opted to have surgery. chr christina applegate says she had a double mastectomy to keep her breast cancer from returning. >> what's the sacrifice for being able to watch this one

grow up and have children of their own. >> reporter: julianna ransick also chose to get a mastectomy. >> i wasn't prepared to get a mammogram until i was 40 years old. >> reporter: and susan osborne. >> i didn't want to make a big deal about it. why worry people and make a fuss unnecessarily? >> reporter: examples of courage and survival and inspiration for rose who says she is not afraid of choosing life over a different type of beauty. rose plans to have the surgery next summer, but if she wins the miss america title, erica, she will wait until she can fulfill her duties, and that will likely be summer of 2014. >> important to get the word out there. michelle, thanks. up next, jenna joins matthew broderick on broadway right

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performing on broadway can be the thrill of a lifetime, i hear. jenna got the chance recently sharing the spotlight with none other than matthew broderick and she is here with more. a great time. here is the deal, when i was 10 i wrote a paper on what i wanted to be when i grew up. i couldn't decide between a comedian, waterski instructor or actress. to be on broadway for one night, even for five seconds, insane. if they asked if i would join them, i nearly fell out of my chair. bright lights, big city, and broadway. this, ladies and gentlemen, is how the pros do it. ♪ nice work if you can get it

>> and then way, way, way down that ladder is how the wannabes do it. i'm on broadway. it's for one night and for one line but i am on broadway and you can't take me off until the show is over. and then i have to get off. i'm going to make my debut tonight. >> i know. >> it's my broadway debut. i've never said that before. i'm making my broadway debut tonight. >> do you have any stage experience? >> experience, it's so overrated. luckily i would be sharing the stage with actors who have done this once or twice before, high-class scene stealer matthew broderick and kelly o'hara. ♪ wonderful, marvelous >> do you ever get nervous? >> i do get nervous. i still get nervous. and if anything goes wrong i get nervous. >> do you really? >> i have to pay attention so the moment doesn't pass. >> does that happen? >> sure. somebody else will talk and before you know it you'll miss it. >> hey, my line. my line. i need my line.

>> say it nice and loud. i wouldn't worry too much about, you know, making sense. just scream it out right on time. >> all right. >> maybe look at the awed yeudi while you say it. >> very important things. >> i'm very good at this. >> how does one prepare to share the stage with matthew broderick? by hanging out with someone who has shared the stage with matthew broderick for over 200 performances, the lovely kelly o'hara. >> oh, my gosh. >> tell me. >> i don't want to sound unprofessional but it's so bad. >> tell me. >> so bad. >> this is what i want to hear. >> we have these wings on the stage. you don't know the hijinks happening. >> how often do you lose it and just start cracking up on stage? >> at least once a night but sometimes several times a night. >> with that i knew i found my new home, well, minus one tiny, little detail, you know, the whole singing and dancing think. ♪ you say either and i say

either ♪ ♪ you say neither and i say either ♪ ♪ either, neither let's call the whole thing off ♪ >> one, two, one, two, three. broadway. >> you're already on broadway. you've got it, girl. >> it was off to rehearsals. >> you sit down. all the ladies say hi, jimmy. >> hi, girls. >> we were just in the neighborhood. >> gee, i probably shouldn't. did you bring your swimsuit? >> who needs a swimsuit? >> i like where this is going. right, one, two, left, and then double time. left and right. >> when is our five-minute break? >> in 55 minutes. >> okay. you were magnificent in the park. >> that's it. stop talking and i'm going to go. that's perfect. i'm magnificent.

with a matthew broderick stamp of approval and nerves of anything but steel, it was time to transform into chorus girl. 1920s, nice work if you can get it. >> oh, for crying out loud. >> hi, jimmy. >> hi, girls. >> we were just in the neighborhood and wondered if you'd care to go for a swim. >> gee, i probably shouldn't. did you bring your swimsuits? >> oh, jimmy, who needs a swimsuit? >> i like where this is going. ♪ when music is play iing ♪ >> the most exhilarating thing i've ever done. i'm not even kidding. it's so exciting. i want more. i will say we often do pieces where, you know, sometimes you

have to add a little more or a little bit less to show your reaction to something. pure, pure joy for this. everything you saw was as i was reacting to it. it was the most fun i've had. matthew and kelly were so fantastic, the crew, the girls, it was amazing. it was amazing. >> and the left right thing kind of works. or is it right left? >> two things i have trouble with, containing my excitement, left right. and the either thing. >> i bought it hook, line and sinker. i loved it. it's great. >> it was so -- >> what an experience. >> "law and order" recently. >> if you combine the two, i said a combined eight words. right on. >> thank you. just ahead, lester and dylan have a little face-off in the kitchen, but, first, these messages. capital one venture miles for their annual football trip.

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as we prepare for the holiday, a little time with loved ones, here is a look at what we are thankful for this thanksgiving holiday. thanksgiving to me is like that checkpoint of the end of the year, the first month you get to put the brakes on. refocus on the things that are really important in your life. >> i really love the what i'm thankful for part of the dinner and i insist on it every time of the year. i am thankful for my family. i am thankful that they are healthy and to sit across the table and see my parents and my brother and my family all together.

it's what it's all about. >> you never think where your life is going to be each year. last thanksgiving, this is the last thing i thought would be happening to me right now and between the job and my new family life, i couldn't be more thankful. >> i make a sandwich with the turkey leftovers and then it's a layer of stuffing and then the sliced cranberry stuff in the can, i like that and lettuce and cheese, tomato and honey mustard. i keep doing this because it's like this. but i really look forward to that sandwich every year and the leftover pumpkin pie. >> the night before thanksgiving we like to go watch the balloons being blown up and see the museum of national history. >> pictionary. if you ever pull names out of a hat and you pull my dad, you know you are not going to win. his drawings were so bad, one year i remember looking at him and just laughing and then being

brought to tears because -- how can you draw that bad, dad? this is just awful. >> our favorite thanksgiving tradition is probably the attempt to watch football on tv. it goes something along the lines of, what time is the game starting? who has the remote. i don't know how this remote. you've linked it up to 14 different things. >> my wife thought it would be a good idea to do a turducken. it's the duck stuffed inside the tu turkey or vice versa. some weird combination that just wasn't great. and i had to kind of break it to her nicely. i think she thinks i'm a turkey now for bringing that up. the last time i cooked the turkey, that would be never. >> some of my favorite thanksgivings happened when i was living in san francisco when we had orphan thanksgiving. i firmly believe that friends are the family you choose. it was a pot luck. everybody would bring stuff, and it was just sort of a day long party with your friends. >> probably 15 years ago and i

was dating this guy that i was trying to impress and i brought him home for thanksgiving. and my dad saw that i was trying to impress him and my dad goes, why don't i light a fire and it will be nice and cozy. we've never used the fireplace. all the smoke billowed up out of the fireplace. the entire room is black at this point. the whole scene was an absolute disaster. >> i was in erie, pennsylvania, for my first job and my dad, my brother had all come up. i had a small little half oven and i squished the turkey right into that. and when they enjoy it and say it tastes just like your mom's, that's perfect. >> my favorite part of thanksgiving, sleeping late enough that i don't even see the parade. >> i love the anticipation that builds up to the meal, and it's time to turn the parade on. >> i love the tradition of getting the phone call from my mom, did you see who walked by on the parade? no, mom, i miss that had marching band. >> looking back, my favorite part was everybody being

together, playing pictionary, having a huge meal. you take a nap, you wake up, you're always ready for more. ♪ thanks for the memories >> so while we were talking about our thanksgivings we were doing part that have interviewing is when it came out lester apparently is a certified pie maker. which everybody really caught on to and it seemed like the perfect opportunity for you to prove your skills. although, interestingly enough, there's no pie. i don't see any crust. but we have a little bakeoff with dylan who is a fine baker in her own right. >> dylan likes to bake. you said you like to make a crisp. i said i prefer to make apple berry cobbler. >> because you buy your pie crust. >> wow. >> i can't make a pie crust either. >> this is from scratch, apples and blueberries. would you like to try some? >> yes.

we need to know what's in yours, too. >> pretty straightforward, a mix of apples and then the brown sugar and the oatmeal on top. pretty standard apple crisp here. >> we going in? we're doing everybody? >> ladies first. >> i know what mine tastes like. so i'm going right to dylan's here. >> dylan, it's good. >> wow. i love the cinnamon. >> do you like it? >> i haven't had in in like 25 years. that's amazing. >> thank you. >> it's really good. >> the secret to mine because on top of the apple crisp gets dried out -- >> you win. >> melt the butter and then mix it together. >> that's what i tasted. >> it's the butter mixed in with everything on top. >> let's try lester's. >> hers is good, right? >> here is the thing. they're different. can't they both win? >> i like that. >> they are different. >> good. >> they're good for you. they have fruit. >> there's a lot of fruit.

>> think of all the antioxidants. >> and yours has oats for your heart. >> oats and lots of apples. >> this is easy. a lot of butter and the strawberries and the apples. >> the first ingredient shouldn't be butter. >> it takes on its own -- >> they're so great. >> really. where do we place our orders for thanksgiving? >> you actually don't. i made two. believe it or not, i was participating in a bake sale for charity. and i made this same dish. i don't know if it sold, though, or not. >> it had to have. it's delicious. >> really good. you guys really impressed. granted erica and i were not invited to participate. >> we know why. our skills in baking are so strong they were intim daidated. >> i don't bake that much. i prefer to cook, chicken pot pie is one of my favorites. when i heard pie, i could throw in a chicken pot pie.

>> i think you should have your own cooking segment. >> thank you. >> great job. >> yours, too. >> we'll be back after these me messages. with depression, simple pleasures can simply hurt. the sadness, anxiety, the loss of interest. the aches and pains and fatigue. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions

like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. simple pleasures shouldn't hurt. talk to your doctor about cymbalta. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

we're all so full.

>> and happy. >> we'll say good-bye with today's life illustrated. we're celebrating football season. >> you can always send pictures on our website, facebook or on twitter. #my life today. >> i'll see you tonight for "nbc nightly news". until then have a great day. so long. e♪ ♪ buddy making a big noise playing in the streets ♪ ♪ going to be a big man some day ♪ ♪ you have mud on your face you big disgrace ♪ ♪ kicking your can all over the place singing ♪ ♪ we will, we will rock you we will, we will rock you ♪ ♪ you shook me all night long oh, you ♪ ♪ shook me all night long

yeah, yeah, you shook me all night long and you shook me all night long ♪ ♪ yeah, you shook me yeah, you shook me ♪ ♪ tonight is the night is the night we're losing control ♪ ♪ tonight is the night is the night we said it all ♪ ♪ everybody go yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ everybody go

>> up next on 11 news, dr. lillian lowry school superintendent is our next guest. we'll take a look at some 68 kitchen gadgets that will save you time and effort with your thanksgiving meal. >> and a batch of showers continue down to our south, but could they reach our area into the upcoming week? we'll have